Cushion shoe



April 21, 1936- J. H. EvERsToN 2,037,970

`CUSHION SHOE Filed May 20, 1955 INVENTOR 'ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 21,v 1936l UNITED sTATEs- PATENT -.OFFICE Joseph llclsltg llukee,

1o claims.

lasted by cementing or by stitching through the insole, the upper and the lining are turned inwardly over the insole, thereby providing a two i ply flange upon which the. outer sole is applied and stitched. It has heretofore been proposed to employ cushioning material in the shallow space outlined by the flanged margins of the upperand interposed between the insole and outsole. Ob-l I viously, however, a cushion in this area can only provide a partial yielding support for the foot, the area occupied by the ange and the lasting means being non-yieldable. It has also been proposed to extend a portion of the cushion between the inturned flange and the bottom of the insole proper, to a position where such cushion portion will be confined under compression if stitches or staples are used in lasting the inturned flange of the upper and lining about the insole.

| The present invention seeks to provide a more full and complete cushion "support for the ball portion of the wearers foot by employing cushion port. In accordance with my invention none of the elastic cushion material is subjected to any compression whatever with the possible exception i of the extreme marginal portions of the auxiliary cushions which are outside of the area occupied by the .wearers foot.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a transverse cross section through a staple lasted shoe exemplifying one embodiment of my invention. I

, Figure 2 is aplan view of Y. connection with my invention and having-a'eovjerl ply partially rolled backtoexpose a cushion built i into the insole.

-(c1. sex-19) Figure 3is a transverse cross section throughv an insole comprising a different embodiment of the invention. l

Figure 4 is a detail view in fragmentary cross section showing a slight modification of the 5 .structure illustrated in Fig. 1.

` Figure 5 is a view in perspective on a reduced scale showing the portions oi' an insole prepared for the incorporation of cushions in a manner representing a further modication of the inl0 vention.

Figure 6 is a detailview taken in transverse cross section through a completed insole cushioned in the recesses disclosed in Fig. 5.

Like parts are identified by the same reference v characters throughout the several views.

In theaccompanying drawing of my improved shoe, the upper 1 and the lining 8 have been lasted over the insole 9 to provide the ange portions IIl held to the insole, for example, by the staples II. Within the area defined by the flanges Ill, the pad I5 of sponge rubber or the like has been applied to the bottom of the insole at 9, such pad being preferably slightly thickerthan the flange portions III of the upper and lining in order to be maintained under some comy pression when the outsole I8 is secured in place by the stitches I1 which extend through the outsole, the flanged-over portions of the upper and lining, the margins of the insole 8, and the margins of cushions I8, and cover ply I9.

The cushions I8 are likewise preferably made of sponge rubber or the like, and are positioned in cavities suitably cut into the insole 9 `in the areas generally indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The 35 cover ply I9 is then preferablyl applied over the cushions to assemble them to the remainder of the insole 9 for sale as a unit to shoe manufacturers, such manufacturers being able to handle the assembled insole-'shown in Fig. 2 unitarily 40 without any change of manufacturing processes in the production of shoes therefrom. The sock liner 20 is used over the insole to cover the stitches I1 in the usual manner.

It will be apparent 'to those skilled in the art that the cushion I5 will be inadequate in itself l since it would expose sensitive feet to the abrasion produced by the marginal edges of the inturned: flange portions of the upper and liner,

l not to.` mention the staples or other lasting ex- Y p edients.' The present device meets this problem by 'overlappingthe margins of` pad 'I5 and the margnsfffiange. portions ofthe upper -with yion the'joint betweenthefaforesaid margins, but 55 also overlie the staples or other lasting devices. The stitching I'I which holds the outsole in place is so closely adjacent the extreme margins of the shoe that it is not perceptible to the wearers foot.

The insole disclosed in cross section in Fig. 3 is identical with that disclosed in Fig. 2, with the exception that the cover flap portions 29 over the cushion pads I8 comprise an integral portion` necessarily a certain'amount of compression of the supplementary'pads I8 occasioned by the operation'of securing the outsole in place by means of the stitches at I'I. shown a means of avoiding such compression of the pads and leaving the surface of the sock lining entirely level. In the Fig. 4 construction the recesses in which the supplementary pads I 80 are received, are so made as to lie-wholly inside of the margin of the insole 9, leaving 4a suflicient area of unrecessed .insole to receive the stitches IT and to provide a rigid and relatively nonperceptible support for the cover ply I 9 and the sock lining 20. This arrangement prevents the cushion IBI) and the superposed plies from being slightly depressed over the line of stitching I1 in the manner shown in Fig. l. The construction is otherwise identical with that of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 except that stitches or tacks are used at III instead of the staples shown at Il in Fig.- ure l.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a further modied embodiment of the invention. In this construction the'insole 9 has been split rearwardly from its toe portion to provide a cover ply 39 which may be rolled backwardly as shown in Fig. 5 to enable the sole to be cut away. A general recess is provided at 22 for a cushion 25 which corresponds in form to the ball portion of the shoe and is almost co-extensive in size with the insole. At predetermined areas of the sides of the insole I provide deeper recesses at 26 into which the above described supplementary lcushions IBI are received. It will be understood that the onli1 purpose in making the supplementary cushions I8I independent of the cushion ply 25 is to avoid the expenseof molded cushions and to enable sheet cushioning material to be blanked out in the proper sizes and shapes without moldins.

In the construction thus disclosed in Figs. 5

and 6, the arrangement is very similar to that of Fig. 4 with the exception that additional elastic support is provided across the center of the shoe and the thickness of the auxiliary cushions I8 may be somewhat increased if desired. Shoes embodying insole structures shown in Figs. 5 and 6 will diier from Fig. 1 only in the use of the additional cushion ply at 25 and in the provision of the uncut margin of the insole which will sus- In Fig. 4 I have per having marginal portions turned inwardly about said insole and lasted in parallel face contact therewith, of a cushion pad within the inturned margins of said upper and marginally confined by said marginal portions, an outsole retaining said pad to the lower face oi.' the insole, and supplementary cushion means overlying saidinturned margins and partially overlapping said pad at a predetermined point and cushioning said margins at such point said cushion pad and supplementarycushion 'means being of softly yieldable materialof like characteristics.

2.- In a shoe of the character described, the combination with an insole having recessed portions adjacent-its side margins, of an upper having marginal portions lasted about said insole in parallel face contact therewith and provided with fastening means extending through said marginal portions and the adjacent portions-of the insole toward the inside of the shoe, an outsole, a sponge rubber cushion ply interposed between the margins of the upper and between said insole and outsole, and a like cushion disposed in the recessed portions of the insole and'overlying said means of connection.

3. In a shoe of the character described, the combination with an insole having recessed portions adjacent its side margins, of an upper having marginal portions lasted about said insole and provided with means of connection `therewith extending through the insole to the inside oi. the shoe, an outsole, a cushion ply interposed between the margins of the upper and between said insole and outsole, and cushions disposed in the recesses of the insole andoverlying said means of connection, together with means for securing said outsole extending through the inwardly lasted marginal portions of the upper and through the insole adjacent the extreme marginal portion thereof and through the said cushions, whereby to fix their positions respecting the insole.

4. In a shoe of the character described, the

combination with an insole having recesses adjacent its lateral margins and between its upper and lower surfaces, of cushion means within said recesses, an upper having marginal portions lasted about the margins of the insole to a point beneath said recesses and cushion means, an outsole spaced from said insole' and seated upon the inturned margins of said upper, a cushion ply interposed within the margins of the upper and between the insole and outsole, lasting means fastening the inturned margins of the upper to the insole beneath hsaid recesses and cushioning means, and stitching connecting the outsole through the inturned margins of the upper with the insole adjacent the extreme margin thereof, said insole recesses being within the line ofstitching which secures the outsole, whereby the tension of such stitching will be absorbed in the unrecessed portion of theinsole and without subjecting said cushioning means to compression.

5.- In a shoe, thev combination with an insole and an outsole, of an upper having marginal portions Iasted about the terminating between the insole and outsole; means connecting the marginal portions oi' the upper with the insole, a yieldable sponge rubber cushion interposed between the insole and outsole within said securing means, and supplemental cushions at opposite sides of the insole in recesses disposed above said securing means and partially overlapping said :Iilrst mentioned cushedge of the insole and.'

ion, said supplemental cushions having a maximum thickness above said securing means and gradually tapering in thickness toward their margins in the central area of the insole, whereby to cushion to the wearers feet the said secur-y ing means and to provide a cumulative cushioning eiect to the extent that the supplemental cushions overlap the first mentioned cushion, while minimizing the wearers perception of the point at which said supplemental cushions terminate in the intermediate area oi the insole,

6. In a shoe, the combination with an insole. an upper marginally lasted over the insole, and an outsole; of a sponge rubber cushion interposed between the insole and outsole within the mar-- gins of the upper; supplemental sponge rubber cushions disposed in recesses of the insole and having a maximum thickness over the said margins oi the upper, and thence gradually tapering in thickness to thin edges at opposite sides of the center of said insole; and connecting means connected with the said outsole, and extending through the upper, the insole, and said supplemental cushions in the thicker portions thereof, whereby to tix the relative positions of the parts.

7. -In a shoe, the' combination with an insole and an upper having marginal portions lasted over the edge of the insole into race contact therewith, of supplemental cushions for which recesses are provided in the insole, lasting means securing the margins of the lupper through the insolebeneath said cushions, an outsole applied beneath the marginal portions of the upper, a

8. In a shoe, the combination with an insole. an outsole, and an upper having marginal portions lastedbetween the insole and outsole in parallel relation to both, a sponge rubber cushion of substantially uniform thickness interposed between the insole and outsole and marginally conlined by the intervening edges'oi the upper, and supplemental sponge rubber cushions disposed at opposite sides of the insole overlying the edges of the upper and partially overlapping said iirst mentioned cushion, whereby to cushion to the wearers foot the said edges of the upper and to provide within said edges a support accumulating the cushion eii'ect of the first mentioned cushion and the supplemental cushions.

9. In a shoe, the combination with an insole and an outsole having substantially planiform upper and lower surfaces respectively, said insole being recessed at opposite sides and provided with supplemental sponge rubber cushions having ltheir top surfaces level with the planiform upper surlface of the insole, the upper having its margins lasted between the insole and theoutsole, means connecting said margins with the in-` sole, a primary sponge rubber cushion between the insole and outsole within the edges of the-` JOSEPH H. EVERSTON. 

